Letter from Jerusalem: Why I'll Bentch Lulav This Shabbat

Jews in Israel used their lulavim on Shabbat during Mishnaic and Early Talmudic times. Why not now?

Why I will use lulav this Shabbat
Typically, bringing Sukkot holiday's festive palm, willow, and myrtle to synagogue on the Sabbath is forbidden, but analysis of traditional texts shows this year provides unique opportunity for Jews living in Israel to use lulav on Shabbat as a special mitzvah
Louis Gordon • Ynet

This Sukkot, Jews who are fortunate enough to live in the Land of Israel have a unique opportunity to perform a special mitzvah: to take the lulav on Shabbat. As it says in the Mishna (Sukka 4a):

The lulav and the arava - willow - (are taken) six or seven (days)… When is the lulav (taken) seven (days)? When the first day of Sukkot falls on Shabbat, one waves the lulav seven days; on other days, six.

So, why is this mitzvah special? First, it is not every year that the first day of Sukkot falls on Shabbat. On most years, the first day of Sukkot does not fall on Shabbat and the lulav is considered “muktzeh” on Shabbat. Muktzeh is a category of items not to be handled on Shabbat, though doing so is not a direct violation of Sabbath laws not to do work as per the Bible, but instead are rabbinically mandated.

Second, this mitzvah can only be performed in the Land of Israel. The Talmud (Sukka 43a) explains that the Jews of Babylon--who were in doubt as to whether the first day of Sukkot occurred on Shabbat or Sunday--did not perform the mitzvah of waving the lulav.

So how did we lose this mitzvah? 
As the discussion of the lulav continues in the Talmud, it suddenly changes its position and surprisingly declares:

"Since we in Babylon do not override Shabbat, they in the Land of Israel do not also. But what of the first day when we in Bavel do not override the Shabbat and they in the Land of Israel do? They answered: Lulav will not override Shabbat for them either!" (43b)

A stunningly new claim has been made that contradicts the previous conclusion: Since the Jews of Babylon do not override Shabbat by performing the mitzvah of waving the lulav, the Jews of the Land of Israel shouldn’t either.

A familiar-sounding rivalry 

Not so dissimilar from the rivalry we unfortunately see today between the haredim and the national religious, our Sages wrote of an atmosphere of competition and rivalry that prevailed between the Jewish centers in Babylon and the Land of Israel. Regarding the mitzvah of lulav on Shabbat, it clearly seems that the sages of Babylon were ill at ease with the fact that the Jews of the Land of Israel were fulfilling a Torah-mandated mitzvah that the Jews of Babylon were not—and could not—perform as this could imply that the Jews of the Land of Israel were of a higher status and order.

During the periods of the Tannaim (70-200 CE) and the Amora’im (200 to 500 CE) until at least the time of Abbaye (d. 337 CE), the Jews of Babylon had no choice but to recognize the lofty status and the birthright of the Jews and Sages of Land of Israel. During this period, it was acceptable for the Jews of the Land of Israel to perform the mitzvah of waving the lulav when the first day of Sukkot fell on Shabbat even though they themselves did not.

But with the passage of time, and the persecutions of the Jewish community in Eretz Yisrael by the Romans and the Byzantines, and later the Arabs/Muslims, the community dwindled until the center of Jewish life shifted to Babylon and the Babylonia community could impose their Halachic worldview.

Taking lulav this Shabbat 
Fortunately I have been blessed to have returned to the Land of Israel, where I follow the mitzvahs and customs of that once-dwindling Jewish community. I observe only one Passover seder, observe only one day of holiday for Sukkot, observe shmitta and more.  

This year I will add another mitzvah to that list: taking the lulav on Shabbat. Although I will take the lulav in my sukka, before I go to synagogue, I pray for the day when all of the people of Israel will be ready to fulfil the mitzvah of lulav on Shabbat as the Mishna (Sukkah 3a) states:

"When the first day of Sukkot falls on Shabbat all of the Jews bring their lulavs to synagogue (on Friday night because of the prohibition of carrying from one domain to another); and (the next day) everybody identifies his lulav and takes it."

Comments

[Maskil]

The Rif, in Morocco, ruled that it was permissible to blow the shofar on Shabbat-Rosh Hashanah. He felt that as an autonomous authority of his community he could disband the earlier prohibition if it did not apply. This opinion was not held by the majority of poskim at the time, however his personal opinion was considered legitimate for him and his community. However he did not make this ruling regarding lulav on Sukkot. The author, in contrast, makes this leap for lulav but considers shofar different altogether and would not condone the shofar on Shabbat-Rosh Hashana.

[David Schwartz]

Kol HaKavod to Rabbi David Bar-Hayim and Machon Shilo who are reviving the ancient minhag of Eretz Yisrael!

[Shmarya]

Maskil –

The shofar makes noise (so others can hear you do it), is difficult to do properly, and would entail davening b'yahid to make it work out.

By contrast, the lulav can be done on the man's private terrace, in his private succah, with no one else knowing or seeing.

I think you're reading way too much in to this when you write, "The author, in contrast, makes this leap for lulav but considers shofar different altogether and would not condone the shofar on Shabbat-Rosh Hashana."

[Office of the Chief Rabbi]

Maskil -
The Rif required a Bet Din. Rambam acknowledges the possibility, too: only if there is a permanent Bet Din in the city and they were or¬dained in Eretz Yisrael and the court sanctified the new moon. Rambam adds that it is permissible only if it is the Bet Din Ha-Gadol and it is in session. (Hilchot Shofar 2:9).

My feeling is the halacha should be "Remember to bring the shofar to shul before Shabbat so you can blow it. If everyone forgets, you're out of luck." Ditto the lulav.

[william e emba]

In fact they did blow the shofar in Jerusalem on Shabbos until some time after the Rif. Why? Because they only kept one day of Rosh Hashanah. This ended when a great number of immigrants arrived and more or less took over the city. They adopted almost all the local minhagim, but blowing the shofar on Shabbos, they would not do, and so kept their two days for the holiday.

With Sukkah there was no sense of loss regarding the lulav. True, the mitzvah on Chol Hamoed is distinct from the mitzvah on Yom Tov, but both today seem like the same rabbinical substitute, so they never really tried to take the lulav on Shabbos

[Shmarya]

Good point re: shofar.

[Chicago Samson]

At the risk of sounding something like a heretic, I think the rabbanim since the time of the Amoraim (or arguably even the Tana'aim) tend to micromanage their communities beyond reason. Perhaps the time has come for us to stop treating the masses as if they were too stupid to act reasonably and sensibly in matters of Jewish observance.

Take music for an example. Shortly after the destruction of the Second Temple, Hazal decided to ban ALL secular songs and instrumental music, citing verses as,"

O Israel, rejoice not for joy, like the gentile nations . . ." (Hosea 9:1). The Sages said, "An ear listening to songs will surely be cut off.... A song in the house means destruction is at its threshold" (Sotah 48a).

Fortunately, concessions were made permitting music, even instrumental music, for the sake of a religious obligation, such as rejoicing with groom and bride (except in the Old City of Jerusalem) but the Sabbath ban on music remained intact, and, in general, music was not favored despite the biblical verse:

מִזְמוֹר שִׁיר לְיוֹם הַשַּׁבָּת:
(ד) עַלֵי עָשׂוֹר וַעֲלֵי נָבֶל עֲלֵי הִגָּיוֹן בְּכִנּוֹר:

(Psa 92:1,4)

"to the accompaniment of a ten-stringed instrument and a lyre,to the accompaniment of the meditative tone of the harp"

I must apologize if this offends any frum friends here, but this has been an issue that has bothered me since my days in yeshiva. There are too many "fences" around "fences," which only serve to create a halachic labyrinth where nobody knows how to get out! If you have any doubt, just read Hans ("Jewish"--yes he was!) Anderson's "Emperor's New Clothes." The old king has been naked for quite some time now, shouldn't we give him so clothes to wear?

I commend the writer for observing the tradition as it should have been observed in the first place.

[nobody]

Great article! Very interesting.

[Neo-Conservaguy]

In fact they did blow the shofar in Jerusalem on Shabbos until some time after the Rif. Why? Because they only kept one day of Rosh Hashanah. This ended when a great number of immigrants arrived and more or less took over the city.
We thank our friends the tosafoth for bringing those little gifts with them to the holy land. And extra day of Rosh haShanah - gee, thanks!

[Yochanan Lavie]

There's a sukkah born every minute.

[Shlomo]

Till about the 10th century Israel kept only one day Rosh Hashanah This stopped when the Rabbis outside of Israel (Italian perhaps) forced the Rabbis of Israel to adopt two days Yom Tov

[Bill]

"This year I will add another mitzvah to that list: taking the lulav on Shabbat ... In my sukkah."

Boy, you audacious trail-blazing rebel, you. Give a couple of shakes for me too, will ya?